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The differences between automotive engineers and student engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an automotive engineer and a student engineer. Additionally, an automotive engineer has an average salary of $82,211, which is higher than the $71,947 average annual salary of a student engineer.
The top three skills for an automotive engineer include CAD, ISO and adaptive. The most important skills for a student engineer are GPA, C++, and CAD.
| Automotive Engineer | Student Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,211 | $71,947 |
| Hourly rate | $39.52 | $34.59 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 104,464 | 98,036 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An automotive engineer specializes in designing and developing vehicles for public or private use. Their job entails conducting extensive research and analyses, conceptualizing plans with fellow experts, building prototypes and structures, troubleshooting problems, and implementing multiple test procedures to identify how the vehicle operates at different conditions and ensure its quality adheres to standards and regulations. Besides developing new vehicles, an automotive engineer may also modify existing models, which requires them to study the market and consumers' feedback, identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and coordinate upgrades.
A student engineer is an individual who trains to become a full pledge professional engineer by gaining working experience in the field of engineering. By using their knowledge in the principles of science and mathematics, student engineers should help other professionals develop economical solutions and solve technical problems. They are required to engage themselves in the testing, production, or maintenance of newly developed products. Student engineers are also required to work closely with their senior managers or supervisors.
Automotive engineers and student engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Engineer | Student Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,211 | $71,947 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $118,000 | Between $54,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Belmont, CA | Yakima, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Cal | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Transportation |
There are a few differences between an automotive engineer and a student engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Engineer | Student Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between automotive engineers' and student engineers' demographics:
| Automotive Engineer | Student Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0% | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 15.9% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 15.9% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |